KB creator:

Peer Reviewer:

Approval date:

  • To generate this AgERA5 time series dataset, homogenisation conventions have been applied to the ERA5 source GRIB data to ensure consistency, usability, and alignment across chosen variables and time steps. The processed data were then written to an ARCO Zarr archive, enabling efficient cloud-optimised access and scalable data retrieval.

  • The dataset presented here is a subset of selected parameters from the full Agrometeorological indicators from 1979 to present derived from reanalysis. Requirements for additional parameters may be considered. Please raise your request with ECMWF Support here.

Introduction

AgERA5 provides daily surface meteorological data for the period from 1979 to present as input for agriculture and agro-ecological studies based on the hourly ECMWF ERA5 data at surface level.

This dataset presented here is a timeseries version of the CDS AgERA5 dataset on approximately 0.1° x 0.1° resolution and is stored in Analysis Ready Cloud Optimised (ARCO) format, which has been implemented for retrieving long time-series for a single point in a efficient way. The AgERA5 data version used to produce the dataset is v2.0.

Methodology

The process to generate this dataset involves:

Data organization and access

The ARCO data is stored as Zarr datacubes.

The data is now available from the Climate Data Store (CDS), either interactively through its download web form or programmatically using the CDS API service:

Agrometeorological indicators time-series from 1979 to present derived from reanalysis

Spatial grid

The parameters have a regular grid of 0.1 degrees.

Please be aware when you select a "Location" on the form, the latitude and longitude values are changed to the closest neighborhood point of the degrees grid. Similarly, selecting an “Area” returns all points within the region defined by the nearest neighborhood corner points to the user-specified S, W, N, and E latitude/longitude values (maximum 5° x 5°).

Temporal frequency

Temporal frequency of the data is daily.

Data format

In the CDS, there are the options of retrieving the data in netCDF format or CSV format.

Data update frequency

AgERA5 is updated on a daily basis. New daily data in AgERA5 becomes available in AgERA5 Time Series in a few hours.

Variations in delivery times may occur due to the non-operational nature of this CDS service, as issues may arise which cause delays.

Parameters listings 

Table 1 below lists the single level parameters aggregate over the following periods:

Table 1: Single level parameters


NameUnitsCDS API Variable nameNotes
1

10m wind speed mean

m s-1

10m_wind_speed_24_hour_mean

2

2m dewpoint temperature mean

K

2m_dewpoint_temperature_24_hour_mean

3

2m relative humidity at 06h

%

2m_relative_humidity_at_06_00

4

2m relative humidity at 09h

%

2m_relative_humidity_at_09_00

5

2m relative humidity at 12h

%

2m_relative_humidity_at_12_00

6

2m relative humidity at 15h

%

2m_relative_humidity_at_15_00

7

2m relative humidity at 18h

%

2m_relative_humidity_at_18_00

8

2m relative humidity derived maximum

%

derived_2m_relative_humidity_24_hour_maximum

9

2m relative humidity derived minimum

%

derived_2m_relative_humidity_24_hour_minimum

10

2m temperature maximum 24h

K

2m_temperature_24_hour_maximum

11

2m temperature maximum daytime

K

2m_temperature_day_time_maximum

12

2m temperature mean 24h

K

2m_temperature_24_hour_mean

13

2m temperature mean daytime

K

2m_temperature_day_time_mean

14

2m temperature mean nighttime

K

2m_temperature_night_time_mean

15

2m temperature minimum 24h

K

2m_temperature_24_hour_minimum

16

2m temperature minimum nighttime

K

2m_temperature_night_time_minimum

17

Cloud cover mean

Dimensionless

cloud_cover_24_hour_mean

18

Liquid precipitation duration fraction

Dimensionless

liquid_precipitation_duration_fraction

19

Precipitation duration fraction

Dimensionless

precipitation_duration_fraction

20

Precipitation flux

mm day-1

precipitation_flux

21

Reference evapotranspiration

mm day-1

reference_evapotranspiration_penman_monteith_fao56

22

Snow thickness LWE mean

cm

snow_thickness_lwe_24_hour_mean

23

Snow thickness mean

cm

snow_thickness_24_hour_mean

24

Solar radiation flux

J m-2 day-1

solar_radiation_flux

25

Solid precipitation duration fraction

Dimensionless

solid_precipitation_duration_fraction

26

Vapour pressure deficit at daily maximum temperature

hPa

vapour_pressure_deficit_at_maximum_temperature

27

Vapour pressure mean

hPa

vapour_pressure_24_hour_mean

Known issues

Please refer to the AgERA5 documentation.


This document has been produced in the context of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

The activities leading to these results have been contracted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, operator of C3S on behalf of the European Union (Delegation Agreement signed on 11/11/2014 and Contribution Agreement signed on 22/07/2021). All information in this document is provided "as is" and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose.

The users thereof use the information at their sole risk and liability. For the avoidance of all doubt , the European Commission and the European Centre for Medium - Range Weather Forecasts have no liability in respect of this document, which is merely representing the author's view.

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